Ball projecting apparatus have been used in the past to train players of various sports, and in particular soccer players. Professional soccer players are true artists in their field in that they are capable of intercepting a high speed ball with their bodies, and to strike this ball with an astounding precision and velocity. A good soccer player, however, needs more than natural strength, instinct, agility and acute reflexes. A good soccer player is formed through practice, and can only retains his/her keen abilities through continuous practising. Therefore, there is a significant demand by sport organizations for soccer ball projecting apparatus capable of launching balls at various angles, directions and power for training soccer players.
One type of soccer ball projecting apparatus of the prior art is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,822 issued on Oct. 31, 1978 to Kurt Scheiwiller. The machine has a wooden striking member which is operable at different striking forces by a cam mechanism rotating against the striking member. The intensity with which the striking member strikes the ball is adjustable by varying the speed of the cam mechanism. The striking angle or the height of the ball's trajectory is adjusted by varying the height of the shooting platform relative to the ground. This is effected by working a crank handle on a rack and pinion actuator. The adjustment of the speed of the cam mechanism is effected by working a crank wheel on a variable speed drive unit.
A second soccer ball projecting apparatus is disclosed in European Patent Application 31,655, filed in Dec. 8, 1980 by Alberto Mendez Ibarguen. The apparatus disclosed in this document has a kicker bar which is actuated by a drive wheel and a link bar connected to the drive wheel such that the movement of the kicker bar is directly related to the rotation of the drive wheel. A ball projecting motion is initiated by manually actuating a clutch mechanism to cause the drive wheel to engage with a drive motor, and to rotate one turn. The machine further has a pedestal for supporting the ball. The pedestal is mounted on linear bearing and slide assemblies and is movable along two horizontal axis by means of two linear screws and ball nut mechanisms. The ball receiving cradle is mounted on a vertical screw and its position is adjustable along a vertical axis such that the ball is positional along three axes relative to the kicker bar.
Another soccer ball projecting apparatus of the prior art is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,348 issued on Oct. 5, 1982 to Lawrence L. Griffith. This apparatus comprises a hopper and a pair of spinning wheels. The rotational speed of the spinning wheels is adjustable and as well as the common alignment of the wheels. The balls are fed from the hopper and between the spinning wheels to impart to each ball a desired velocity and direction.
In a further example of soccer ball launching apparatus, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,978 issued on Nov. 14, 1995 to Jean-Pierre Magnone et al., discloses an apparatus wherein the power of the ejection arm thereof is adjustable, and the position of the ball relative to the ejection arm is also adjustable. The ejection arm is mounted on an axle which in turn is mounted on bearing and provided with a return spring. A launching arm is also mounted on the axle, and is actuated by a drive arm which strikes the launching arm in rotation. The drive arm comprises adjustment means which permits varying its radius so as to transmit more or less power to the launching arm. The launching station has a cradle for supporting the ball, and the cradle is adjustable in horizontal and vertical directions relative to trajectory of the ejection arm.
Another apparatus using a cam and a spring to pre-load the launching arm is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,695 issued on Sept. 25, 1979 to Jack S. Haller et al. Yet another apparatus using a pair of cam wheels to pre-load the launching arm is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,577 issued on Aug. 24, 1982 to Uno K. T. Andersson.
In a further document of the prior art, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,977 issued on Apr. 15, 1997 to Walter L. Gatin discloses an apparatus having a catapult-type throwing arm which is pivotally mounted inside an enclosure. The loading of the throwing arm is effected by pulling on a cable extending from the forward end of the enclosure for causing the throwing arm to rotate while extending a spring and to ultimately engage with a vacuum cup. The vacuum cup holds the throwing arm for a nominal period of time before the ball is ejected. As the throwing arm is released, a mechanism attached to the throwing arm causes a gate to open and to let the ball out of the apparatus. The use of a gate makes the ball throwing apparatus safer to use by enclosing the moving parts of the apparatus.
Modern soccer training techniques require that an apparatus for projecting soccer balls should have the ability to change the horizontal trajectory of the ball without physically displacing the apparatus on the ground; that the machine should be capable of lobbing a ball without imparting a spinning effect in it; and that any adjustments to the machine should be effected quickly for concurrently practising a number of players positioned all over a soccer field for example.
It is these reasons basically, that have contributed to the development of a market demand for a better soccer ball projecting apparatus capable of unexpectedly delivering a soccer ball over a wide segment of a soccer field with a multiplicity of projecting forces and curving and lobbing trajectories.